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ACADEMICS > Programs > Study Abroad > Experience Report

Experience Report

Leiden University (UIC-exclusive Exchange Program) : Fall 2017

1. Host school’s size, its physical location, climate and etc.

Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. Leiden University College (LUC) is a residential, liberal arts & sciences college established by Leiden University. It is located in the Hague, unlike other faculties. The rest of the university is located in the city of Leiden which takes a 7-minute train ride from the Hague. 

The Hague is a 30-minute train ride from Schiphol Airport, and about a 50-minute train ride from Amsterdam. The Hague, also known as the City of Peace and Justice, accommodates most of the Dutch government institutions including the parliament, council of state, supreme court etc, foreign embassies and international organizations. It is also home to the ICC, ICJ, and other international tribunals. 

The two major university buildings located in the Hague is the LUC building and the Wijnhaven building. The Wijnhaven building is a 10-minute walk from the LUC building and has facilities such as open study areas and administrative offices ( housing office, international student office, etc). Both buildings are located in the heart of the Hague, having LUC situated right next to the central station and Wijnhaven near  spui.

The weather in the Netherlands is rainy and windy all year. They have a very short summer starting from mid/end of June to August. Although it rains often, it hardly snows in the winter. 

The Dutch speak excellent English so it was really easy to get around without knowing and any Dutch! (But the school does offer Dutch language courses if you’re interested.)

2. Host school’s periphery environment

LUC is situated in the heart of the city. The building is right next to the Hague Central Station where all tram lines pass by. Also, it’s only a 10-minute walk to the centrum/spui where all the shopping centers and restaurants are located. 

3. Living style/condition, food/meal

If you apply for accommodation, the housing office will assign you in one of the student apartments provided by DUWO. If you attend the faculty located in the Hague (including LUC), you will probably be assigned to either Enthovenplein or Stamkartstraat. Both student buildings are located near the Hague Holland Spoor train station. Stamkarstraat offers single studios with private kitchen and bathrooms. Enthovenplein offers single studios as well as shared rooms. For those living in single studios, don’t forget to apply for the rent allowance provided by the Dutch government. The housing office holds sessions once a semester in which you can know if you’re eligible for the subsidy. However, the housing office will kindly help you with the procedure even if you miss the session. 

When it comes to transportation, most people get around on their bikes. If you can’t ride a bike you may take the tram or the bus. You can buy/order an anonymous or personal ov chipcard (public transportation card) online or at the information desks at the train stations. If you’re planning to stay for more than 6 months, you may want to check ov chipcard discount products at the ns.nl website. For example, there are products that offer a 40% discount on trains during off-peak hours. The 9292 application provides bus/tram/train schedules around the Netherlands.

For grocery shopping, the most common places are Albert Heijn and Jumbo. 

For online shopping, go to bol.com

There’s an English book shop at the Centrum for avid readers. 

The spui/centrum is a great place to spend leisure time: there are a plenty of places to eat out and go shopping. The Pathe cinema is also located near spui. 

Places worth visiting in the Hauge also includes the Scheveningen beach (20 minute tram ride from the centrum), the Mauritshuis art museum (located at the centrum, next to Binnenhof (parliament building)), the Noordeinde Palace and its garden/park open to all visitors, Haagse Bos (a forest), The Peace Palace,  etc.

Also, take your time to experience other parts of the Netherlands during your stay. Nearby cities worth visiting include Delft, Leiden, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Haarlem…and of course Amsterdam! Amsterdam offers such a wide variety of cultural experiences such as the Dutch National Ballet, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Rijksmuseum, and my personal favorite Van Gogh Museum. 

Having a museum card may be nice if you love visiting galleries and museums. With a 60 euro annual fee, you get free access to museums around the Netherlands including the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum, Anne Frank House, Rembrandt House, Mauritshuis, etc. 

4. Course curriculum, library

An academic year in LUC is divided into 4 blocks. Each block lasts 8 weeks. The regular course load for each block is 3 x 5 Ects classes. There are 6 majors offered at LUC, namely, World Politics, International Justice, Governance Economics and Development, Global Public Health, Earth Energy and Sustainability, and Human Diversity. As an exchange student, you may take all courses provided by any of the majors (although some may require completing pre-requisites). Some of my favorite courses were HIV and Aids in Africa, International Criminal Law, Political Transition in Africa, Human Trafficking, and French!

 All classes are conducted in English, and many of the classes adopt the small-sized, discussion-oriented, seminar-style teaching methods. As each block remains for only 8 weeks, the courses are very fast-paced. In general, midterm exam/assignments are scheduled in the 4th week, and final exam/assignments are scheduled in the 7th or 8th week. Thus, it’s important to keep up with the weekly readings since you won’t have enough time to make up for it before exams. 

 Instructors at LUC are attentive to their students’ progress and are very open to different perspectives. They strongly encourage the students to actively engage and participate in class discussions, and provide meticulous and thorough feedback on students’ performances, including exams, essays, and presentations. 

 The Wijnhaven building is the Leiden University library in the Hague. it is a 10-minute walk from the LUC building/central station and is right next to the centrum/spui area. Although it is an excellent study area, there is always a shortage of seats during midterm/finals. You may also pick-up library books that you’ve requested from the libraries in Leiden at Wijnhaven. 

5. Host school’s administrative support

For administrative support, you can either e-mail them or visit the respective offices during their opening hours. All offices have different opening hours so always check before you visit them. The offices are both available in Leiden and the Hague. Except for very rare cases (such as collecting your residence permit card), the Hague office supports the exact same services, so there is no need to go all the way to Leiden. Don’t hesitate to ask for administrative support because they’re always kind and very helpful. I received great help especially when I was applying for the rent allowance provided by the Dutch government. 

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